As busy women we are constantly juggling our work, home and community commitments. Here are some quick ways to save time this week:
- Make your reservations at your favorite lunch or dinner restaurant after 11 am each day (that is when the maitre de begins work).
- Shop early in the morning for the freshest ingredients and for the highest selection of products as shelves have been packed the night before.
- Shop late at night if you want to avoid the crowds and minimize time in the lines at checkout
- Select a dry cleaning service that does pick up and delivery. If you have to drop it off leave it on Friday afternoon for collection on Saturday as part of doing your weekly errands. Place a bag inside your wardrobe, add clothes for dry cleaning through the week and then take one bag to the dry cleaners for processing.
- Schedule 12.00 lunch dates when you are meeting people. It is the early lunch shift; you will receive better customer service and have greater table selection (this is before the 12.30 lunch rush).
- Schedule all outgoing calls in 15-minute increments. If you are calling a service and you know there will be a wait try for 11.30 am (before people begin calling in their lunch breaks) and after 2.30 pm.
- Exercise first thing in the morning (before you check your email or social media) so you won’t be distracted by any outside activities and it will be done before you start your day.
- Load the dishwasher before you go to bed so the cycle can run overnight and you can unload it when making your breakfast the next morning.
- Sort laundry in your bedroom on a weekday morning (Thursday) and take down each pile as one is completed, then by the weekend you have completed all your laundry. It helps if you fold things as they come out of the dryer so you can then put them away the next day.
- Allocate one day a week to personal beauty routines i.e. Friday morning. Turn your shower into a mini spa with everything you need to shave, moisturize your hair, apply a face treatment etc.
- Allocate 15 minutes on Sunday nights to plan your outfits for the week, hang them in a separate section of your wardrobe complete with accessories and matching shoes so you know what you need for the week.
- If you can’t do it all on Sunday, allocate 15 minutes before you go to bed at night to lay out your clothes for the next day including all underwear, shoes, accessories and clothes.
- When you get home from work empty your bag, file receipts, throw away trash and refill anything you need for the next day. Do this before you relax so you know your day is complete.
- Pay bills on one day per week. Create a manila folder for bills, choose a day to pay them, allocate 15 minutes to pay outstanding bills/invoices and only do it once a week.
- Update your budget on Saturday mornings (it is a great summary of the week and prevents overspending on a weekend)
- Always buy gas for your car when it is on a ¼ full and know the places that are on your route home so you can do it at the end of the day (instead of madly looking for somewhere on your way to a destination the next morning)
Click here for more simple and productive ideas – these will save you time each week, get you out the door easier in the mornings and allow you to relax at night and one weekends so you can spend more time with those you love… now that’s productive!
